Slant disc entry guide

ABSTRACT

A mechanism for changing the direction of travel of a continuous and rapidly moving bendable rod through a substantial angle in the order of 90*. The mechanism consists of a power driven grooved guide wheel and a plurality of rotating closely adjacent smaller guide wheels located along a segment of the periphery of the main guide wheel about which the rod is to be turned. Some of the smaller guide wheels are slanted alternately with respect to the main guide wheel. The slanted wheels overlap each other so that over a given angular segment of the main guide wheel, there may be more positions of engagement of the smaller guide wheels with the rod thereby to maintain full control of the rod as its line of travel is changed and to insure complete delivery of the rod for its entire length to a rod collecting device.

United States Patent Kinnicutt, Jr.

[151 3,680,758 1 Aug. 1, 1972 [54] SLANT DISC ENTRY GUIDE [72] Inventor: 'Roger Kinnlcutt, Jr., Worcester,

Mass.

22 Filed: March3, 1911 211 Appl.No.:120,6S8

[52] US. Cl. ..226/ 183, 254/l75.5, 254/190, a 72/250- [51] Int Cl. ..B65h 11/22 [58] Fleld of Search ..254/175.5, 175.7, 190; 72/231, 72/250; 226/183, 186, 187

Primary ExaminereMilton S. Mehr Atromey-Chittick, Pfund, Birch, Samuels &'Gauthier [571 ABSTRACT A mechanism for changing the direction of travel of a continuous and rapidly moving bendable rod through a substantial angle in the order of 90. The mechanism consists of a power driven grooved guide wheel and a plurality of rotating closely adjacent smaller guide wheels located along a segment of the periphery of the main guide wheel about which the rod is to be turned. Some of the smaller guide wheels are slanted alternately with respect to the main guide wheel. The slanted wheels overlap each other so that over a given angular segment of the main guide wheel, there may be more positions of engagement of the smaller guide wheels with the rod thereby to maintain full control of the rod as its line of travel is changed and to insure complete delivery of the rod for its entire length to a rod collecting device.

9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAUB' 1 I972 sum 1 or 5 llllIlllll E PATENTEDAus 1 m2 SHEET 3 OF 5 mm mm 'SLANT nrsc ENTRY GUIDE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is broadly concerned with the provision of mechanism for feeding and simultaneously changing the direction of travel of a rod or other bendable elongated element considerable length and usually traveling at high speed. The inventionfinds its principal use in connection with the handling of a sue-- cession of hot metal rods as they are delivered from the last stage of a rolling mill. In the ordinary situation, the hot rod leaves the mill along a generally horizontal path and after being cooled according to conventional practice to a greater or lesser degree, the rod is turned from the horizontal to vertical to be fed downward-into a laying head and thence to any means for collecting the continuous rings generated by the laying head. US. Pat. No. 3,100,070 of 1963 to Smith shows a recent im provement in means for changing the direction of the hot metal rod being delivered from a rolling mill. The Smith Patent while effective with rod traveling at low to medium speeds, has been found unsatisfactory as rod speeds have risen because of excessive chain wear and chain breakage resulting in many mill delays and resulting high operating costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is designed tocope with the problem'of changing the direction of rod running at the highest known speeds of rod mill operation and delivering the rod to roll collecting means without causing detrimental surfacev abrasion or marking of the rod. The mechanism is of simple sturdy construction utilizing a series of relatively small'rotating discs or guide wheels located and arranged in a particular manner along part of the periphery of a larger main guide wheel. The locations of the smaller guide wheels are such that the leading end of the rod on entering the first bite-between the main guide wheel and the first smaller guide wheel is instantly bent to substantially the curvature of the main guide wheel whereby the rod end will be'properly directed to enter the succession of bites of the following smaller guide wheels until the direction of travel of the rod has been changed to the extent required. The rod after passing through the last bite is stripped from the main guide wheel to pass into the pipe of the laying head.

The main guide wheel is driven by means which causes it to rotate at a peripheral speed the same as or preferably a trifle faster than the speed of the oncoming rod. The smaller guide wheels located along the required sector of the main guide wheel are likewise caused to rotate at a peripheral speed matching that of the main guide wheel. In a preferred construction designed to achieve this matching speed, the smaller guide wheels are automatically put into peripheral engagement with the main guide wheel during the interval between the departure 'of the tail end of the last rod and the arrival of the leading end of the next rod. By having the main guide wheel and the smaller cooperating wheels rotating at rod speed or slightly higher,.the leading end of the oncoming rod readily enters into the suc cession of bites thereby practically precluding the development of a cobble at this position in the rod collecting operation.

In order that the number of bites or pressure points along the periphery of the main guide wheel may be close enough so that the leading end of the rod will be successfully directed from one bite to the next, some of the cooperating smaller guide wheels are slanted with respect to the main guide wheel and are set alternately on axes that are preferably at 90 to each other and at to the axis of the main guide wheel. Preferably, the smaller guide wheels are mounted on a frame or other convenient structure associated with the main guide wheel that can be readily shifted from normal operating position to an inoperative position whereby the smaller wheels may be inspected or removed for repair or replacement.

The nature of the invention will more particularly appear in connection with the following description of a preferred embodiment with the aid of appropriate drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the guide mechanism showing the rod entering in a generally horizontal direction and being delivered in a generally vertical direction.

FIG. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing the main guide wheel and the first smaller guide wheel in section and also showing one of the smaller guide wheel supporting panels in open inoperative position.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section of a portion of the upper part of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a section taken approximately on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1 to a scale similar to FIG. 3 showing the first smaller slanted guide wheel.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged section taken approximately on line 5-5 of FIG. 1 showing the second slanted smaller guide wheel and details of its related bearing structure.

- FIG. 6 isa view taken along the line 6'6 of FIG. 1 with the housing cover removed illustrating the manner in which the alternately slanted guide wheels enable the rod pressure points or bites to be brought closer together than would be the case if wheels of the same size were aligned with the main guide wheel.

DESCRIPTION OF .A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring first to FIG. 1,- the rod 2 traveling in the direction of the arrow is being delivered from the last stand of a rod mill, not shown. The leading end of the rod is directed through a pipe 4 to a bite or pressure point 5 between a main guide wheel 6 and a first small guide wheel 8. The rod then passes to a second bite or pressure point 7 between guide wheel 6, a smaller slanted guide wheel 10, then to a third bite or pressure point 9 between guide wheel 6 and the next slanted smaller guide wheel 12 which slants in the opposite direction from the preceding guide wheel 10. The rod then moves on to a fourth bite or pressure point 11 between guide wheel 6 and the third slanted smaller guide wheel 14, then to a fifth bite or pressure point 13 between guide wheel 6 and a fourth slanted smaller guide wheel 16, and finally to a sixth bite or pressure point 15 between guide wheel 6 and the last smaller guide wheel 18 (aligned with wheel 6). The rod is then stripped from wheel 6 by stripper 19 and delivered to a cone 20 and thence to the pipe 22 leading to the laying head, not shown.

Reference to FIG. 6 at this point will be helpful in orienting the two smaller guide wheels 8 and 18 and the four slanted guide wheels 10, 12, 14 and 16 with respect to the main guide wheel 6. It will be readily understood how it is possible to have the bites or pressure points of the several smaller guide wheels closer together by alternately slanting and overlapping the wheels l0, 12, 14 and 16, then would be the case if guide wheels of the same diameter were aligned with guide wheel 6.

It will also be appreciated that the slanted smaller guide wheels 10, 12, 14 and 16 could be of still smaller diameter whereby the pressure points with main guide wheel 6 could be brought even closer together, but as the diameters of the slanted guide wheels are reduced, so will their RPMs increase since their peripheral speeds must equal the peripheral speed of the main guide wheel 6. As the RPMs increase, the problem of suitable bearings increases and hence a compromise size must be reached. This compromise size is determined by the necessity of having the bites between the small guide wheels and the main guide'wheel close enough so that the leading end of the rod will properly enter into successive bites of the cooperating guide wheels.

In the construction shown, the rod 2 is turned through an angle of approximately 90 but it will be understood that this angle may be varied to meet any mill requirements by varying the number and positions of the smaller guide wheels. The diameter of wheel 6 in relation to the rod diameter is such that the rod can be readily bent to the wheel circumference without damage. In the construction shown, the wheel 6 is about 48 inches in diameter, the wheels 8 and 18 about 12 inches in diameter, and the slanted wheels 10, 12, 14 and 16 about 9 inches in diameter. The pressure point or bites between wheels 6 and 8 is 1 1 beyond the top of wheel 6. Bite 7 is 17 beyond bite 5; bites 7, 9, 11 and 13 are all 15 apart; and the final bite 15 is 17 beyond bite 13.

By having bite 5 a small angular distance beyond the top of wheel 6, the leading end of the rod 2 traveling horizontally will meet wheel 8 a small angular distance before bite 5. At this position of engagement with wheel 8, the rod 2 will be moving tangentially away from wheel 6. The leading end of the rod, however, is then compelled by wheel 8 to bend downwardly and to enter bite 5 and thereby to establish a curve in the leading end of the rod that corresponds with the curvature of the circumference of wheel 6. The leading end of rod 2 now having been bent to the circumference of wheel 6 passes onward through a distance of 17 to enter bite 7. With the curvature of the leading portion of the rod well established and corresponding with the circumference of wheel 6, the rod passes on to bites 9, 11, 13 and 15. Since all of wheels 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 rotate freely and at the speed of the rod, no marking or abraiding of the rod surface occurs. The bites 5, 7, 9, ll, 13 and 15 are so close together that it is impossible for either the leading end of the rod or those subsequent parts of the rod moving between the bites to move away from the periphery of wheel 6. Ac cordingly, the rod moves smoothly and continuously around wheel 6 to the stripper 19 associated with the cone 20 which directs the leading end of the rod 2 away from wheel 6 and into pipe 22.

The details of the guide wheel bearings and driving means, bearing mountings and other features of the construction will now be explained.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the main guide wheel 6 is carried by a shaft 38 mounted in bearings 40 and 42 on any suitable base structure 44. Shaft 38 carries a pulley 46 driven by motor 48 through motor pulley 50 and belt 52. Motor 48 is a slave to the motors that drive the rolling mill, the circuits being arranged so that the peripheral speed of wheel 6 will be tied to the delivery speed of rod 2. Preferably, wheel 6 has a peripheral speed slightly faster than the rod speed so as to keep the rod continuously in tension.

As shown in more detail in FIG. 3, wheel 6 has a peripheral groove 54 wide enough to receive rod of different diameters according to the size being currently rolled by the mill. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the first guide wheel 8 and all other guide wheels 10, 12, l4, l6 and 18 are mounted for free rotation on similar shafts 56 each carried by a bearing 58, the details of which are shown in FIG. 5 and will be explained hereinafter. It is to be understood that the bearings 58 of guide wheels 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 are substantially identical, the only difierence being in their mountings which are arranged so that the bearings of guide wheels 8 and 18 have their axes parallel to shaft 38, while the shafts of guide wheels l0, 12, 14 and 16 have their axes at 45 to shaft 38, and at 90 to each other.

Guide wheels 8 and 18 as can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 6 are grooved as at 60 with their center lines in alignment with the center line of groove 54 of wheel 6. Wheels 8 and 18 adjacent the grooved part 60 have narrow cylindrical portions 62 that are covered with a material similar to the lining of brake drums or clutches whereby when no rod is present, the surface 62 will be held, by means to be explained, in engagement with the cylindrical peripheral part 64 of wheel 6. In this way, wheels 8 and 18 will be caused to rotate at the same peripheral speed as wheel 6.

Turning now to the slanted guide wheels 10, 12, 14 and 16 and their bearings 58 which are the same as the bearings of wheels 8 and 18, it will be understood that a detailed description of wheel 12, for example, and its bearing 58 shown in FIG. 5 will suffice as a description for all of the smaller slanted guide wheels and the two aligned guide wheels and their bearings.

Wheels 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 are all attached to their shafts 56 in the same manner. Each wheel, whether aligned or slanted with respect to main wheel 6, comprises a grooved rod engaging annulus 66 which is bolted to a friction driving annulus 67 by a plurality of bolts 68 extending through an intermediate spokelike element 69 mounted on a hub 70 keyed to shaft 56. Shaft 56 is rotatably carried by bearings 72 and 74 supported by a housing 76 bolted to a base member 78 by bolts 80. The bearing structure, while generally conventional, makes provision for axial expansion of shaft 56 as it may be heated by radiation or conduction of heat from rod 2. The bearing 72 is in fixed axial relation with shaft 56 and housing 76. As the shaft 56 expands or contracts, the inner race 82 of bearing 74 will move correspondingly in an axial direction. The outer race 84 is spring pressed by a plurality of springs 86 so that the outer race 84 always follows the inner race to maintain the anti-friction elements of the bearing in proper engagement with the races.

As can be seen in FIG. 5, wheel 12 which is at 45 to wheel 6 has a groove 88 which at the bite is aligned with groove 54 of wheel 6. Annulus 67 is covered with friction material 92. When annulus 67 is in engagement with the narrow periphery 64 of wheel 6, wheel 12 will be caused to revolve at the same peripheral speed as wheel 6.

As previously stated, the foregoing description of bearing 58 is applicable to all of the bearings that carry wheels 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18. The bearings 58 for wheels 8, 12 and 16 are all on the left side of wheel 6 and the bearings 58 of wheels 10, 14 and 18 are all on the right of wheel 6 as wheel 6 is viewed in FIGS. 2 and 6.

All of the bearings 58 are mounted on suitable framework fixed in relation to wheel 6 in a manner that permits the wheels to be adjusted radially with respect to wheel 6 so as to receive varying sizes of rod and also to cause the friction material 62 or 92 of each of the smaller wheels to come automatically into engagement with wheel 6 when no rod is passing therebetween thereby to maintain the peripheral speed of the smaller wheels while they await the arrival of the leading end of the next rod.

' The supporting and adjusting structure for wheels 8 and 18 is shown in FIG. 3, it being understood that the parts for wheel 18 are reversed from those of wheel 8. Bearing 58 as heretofore mentioned, is bolted to its supporting plate 78. This plate has a pair of spaced downtumed cats 94 and 96 (see FIG. 1) which are mounted on a shaft 98, the ends of which are carried by angles 100 and 102 bolted to a rigid supporting side plate 104. A manually rotatable cam 106 permits vertical and lateral adjustment of bearing 58 within necessary limits to provide for the acceptance of different sized rod between the grooved portions 54 and 60 of wheels 6 and 8. Upon proper adjustment, locking screw 107 holds the parts in fixed position.

The ears 94 and 96 of support 78 have intumed members 108 and 110 which are secured to a spring member 112 in the form of an elongated flat metal plate bent through about 120 as indicated at 114. The vertical end of spring 112 carries a freely rotatable screw 116 threaded into side plate 104 at 118. Screw 116 is easily actuated through the use of a handle 120. If no rod 2 is present between wheels 6 and 8, as viewed in FIG. 3, it is apparent that by screwing screw 116 into side plate 104 and moving spring 112 clockwise, the support 78 will be swung downwardly about its pivot 98 until the friction annulus 62 is brought into contact with surface 64 of wheel 6. It is also apparent that because of the length and flexibility of spring 112, the leading end of the oncoming rod 2 may enter the bite between wheels 6 and 8 to force the wheels apart enough to accept the rod and at the same time separate surfaces 62 and 64. When the trailing end of the rod leaves the bite, then surface 62 instantly re-engages surface 64 so that rotation of wheel 8 at the correct peripheral speed will continue.

The supporting and adjusting mechanism for wheels l0, 12, 14 and 16 is substantially the same as that of wheels and 18. The construction shown to enlarged scale in FIG. 5 is illustrative. The bearing support plate 78 has a pair of upturned ears 122 which have smaller intumed ears 124 and 126 enabling the support 78 to be bolted directly to the lower end of spring 128. The support 78 is carried for rotation by ears 122 about a shaft 130 whose ends are carried by angles 132. There is an adjusting cam 136 which may be manually rotated to move wheel 12 with respect to wheel 6 to bring groove 88 into alignment with and correct spacing from groove 54. After proper adjustment is made, a locking screw 138 is utilized to hold the parts fixed in position.

When no rod is present between the bite of wheels 6 and 12, the screw 1 16 (FIG. 5) may be screwed further into the threaded hole 118 in side plate 104 forcing the upper end of spring member 128 to the right and turning the bearing 58 and wheel 12 downwardly until the surface 92 of annular member 67 comes into engagement with surface 64 of wheel 6. This causes rotation of wheel 12 at the same peripheral speed as wheel 6 to await the arrival of the leading end of the next bar 2. As the rod 2 enters between grooves 54 and 88, the surfaces 92 and 64 will be separated and rotation of wheel 12 will continue under the influence of rod 2 engaged thereunder. When the tail end of the rod leaves the bite between wheels 6 and 12, then the surfaces of 92 and 64 again engage under the influence of spring 128 and rotation of wheel 12 continues at the correct speed to await the arrival of the leading end of the next rod.

As can best be seen in FIG. 2, there are two strong side plates 104, previously referred to, and 140 on opposite sides of wheel 6. These side plates are hinged respectively in 142 and 144. The side plate 104 carries the bearings 58 of wheels 8, 12 and 16, while side plate 140 carries the bearings 58 of wheels l0, l4 and 18. As shown in FIG. 2 by the position of side plate 140, these side plates 104 and 140 may be swung open to remove the smaller wheels from their operative positions adjacent wheel 6, thereby permitting the smaller wheels to be replaced or adjusted or otherwise attended to. However, it is to be understood that any type of convenient mounting could be used and preferably there would be provision for suitable adjustment of the smaller wheels with respect to the main wheel 6 both as to alignment and frictional engagement when rod is not present.

As shown in FIG. 1, there may be provided additionally a protective cover 146 pivoted at 148 to permit improved access to the various parts. With cover 146 raised and side plates 104 and 140 open, wheel 6 will be fully exposed. When side plates 104 and 140 are in operating position, they are preferably secured and braced by removable connecting elements 150 and 152.

It will be appreciated that the driven guide wheel mechanism heretofore described not only acts to change the direction of the rod on its way from the mill to the laying head, but also serves as means for compelling the delivery of the rod over its entire length to the laying head.

It is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the examples of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

1 claim:

1. Means for changing the direction of travel of a rapidly moving bendable rod, said means comprising a main grooved rotating wheel about which said rod passes as it changes direction and a plurality of rotatable smaller wheels positioned adjacent said main wheel for engaging and holding said rod against said main wheel as the rod direction changes, at least some of said smaller grooved wheels being alternately and oppositely slanted with respect to said main wheel and overlapping each other whereby the distance between successive rod engaging positions of said some smaller slanted grooved wheels with said main wheel is substantially less than the diameter of said slanted smaller wheels.

2. Means as set forth in claim 1, the first of said smaller wheels being aligned with said main wheel.

3. Means as set forth in claim 1, said first and last of said smaller wheels being aligned with said main wheel.

4. Means as set forth in claim 3, all of said smaller wheels between the first and last being said slanted wheels.

5. Means as set forth in claim 1 and means for driving said main wheel at a peripheral speed not less than the delivered speed of said rod.

6. Means as set forth in claim 1 and means for causing rotation of said smaller wheels at the same peripheral speed as said main wheel when no rod is present between said main wheel and said smaller wheels.

7. Means as set forth in claim 1, the axes of said slanted wheels when extended intersecting the axis of said main wheel.

8. Means as set forth in claim 1, each of said smaller wheels mounted on a bearing carried shaft, each said bearing mounted on a support pemiitting movement of each said smaller wheel toward and away from said main wheel, and spring means resiliently holding each said smaller wheel against said main wheel in the absence of rod between said main and smaller wheels.

9. Means as set forth in claim 1, the first of said smaller wheels being aligned with said main wheel and having its axis parallel to the axis of the main wheel and aligned with a radius of said main wheel which is at a sufiicient angular distance beyond the initial point of tangency of said rod with said main wheel to first engage the end of the rod and direct it into the bite between said first smaller wheel and said main wheel whereby the advancing rod will be continuously bent to a curvature corresponding substantially to the curvature of the circumference of said main wheel. 

1. Means for changing the direction of travel of a rapidly moving bendable rod, said means comprising a main grooved rotating wheel about which said rod passes as it changes direction and a plurality of rotatable smaller wheels positioned adjacent said main wheel for engaging and holding said rod against said main wheel as the rod direction changes, at least some of said smaller grooved wheels being alternately and oppositely slanted with respect to said main wheel and overlapping each other whereby the distance between successive rod engaging positions of said some smaller slanted grooved wheels with said main wheel is substantially less than the diameter of said slanted smaller wheels.
 2. Means as set forth in claim 1, the first of said smaller wheels being aligned with said main wheel.
 3. Means as set forth in claim 1, said first and last of said smaller wheels being aligned with said main wheel.
 4. Means as set forth in claim 3, all of said smaller wheels between the first and last being said slanted wheels.
 5. Means as set forth in claim 1 and means for driving said main wheel at a peripheral speed not less than the delivered speed of said rod.
 6. Means as set forth in claim 1 and means for causing rotation of said smaller wheels at the same peripheral speed as said main wheel when no rod is present between said main wheel and said smaller wheels.
 7. Means as set forth in claim 1, the axes of said slanted wheels when extended intersecting the axis of said main wheel.
 8. Means as set forth in claim 1, each of said smaller wheels mounted on a bearing carried shaft, each said bearing mounted on a support permitting movement of each said smaller wheel toward and away from said main wheel, and spring means resiliently holding each said smaller wheel against said main wheel in the absence of rod between said main and smaller wheels.
 9. Means as set forth in claim 1, the first of said smaller wheels being aligned with said main wheel and having its axis parallel to the axis of the main wheel and aligned with a radius of said main wheel which is at a sufficient angular distance beyond the initial point of tangency of said rod with said main wheel to first engage the end of the rod and direct it into the bite between said first smaller wheel and said main wheel whereby the advancing rod will be continuously bent to a curvature corresponding substantially to the curvature of the circumference of said main wheel. 